Hands
by carpe bagel
Summary: Everyone, around the age of 16, develops a name on the back of their hand - the name of their soul mate. Inoue has spent the last couple of months hoping Ichigo would get hers, and on the night of his 16th birthday party... she finds out if it is meant to be. Oneshot. Ichiruki. AU. R&R!


**A/N: ** This concept has been done before, so creds to whoever thought this up. I don't own Bleach or any of its characters.

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Everyone is born with a name on the back of their hand.

There is no explanation, no scientific reasoning—but the name is the name of that person's soul mate. It usually appears at around 16 or 17, depending on the person, and is written in the soul mate's handwriting.

It's beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time.

The name on the back of their hand, the name that they most want to hear, could be someone who never crosses their path.

Someone who has already died.

Someone who has chosen to ignore their soul mate and pursue another.

And, perhaps the most tragic—someone who has a different name on the back of their hand.

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Inoue Orihime has been in love with Ichigo Kurosaki since the seventh grade.

She went to school one day, trailed by several large men in dark clothes. Ichigo was walking across the street, watching carefully. Inoue remembers this part clearly—she looked at twelve-year-old Ichigo with round, grey eyes, silently pleading for help. He hiked his bag up his shoulder and sprinted towards the men, knocking them out.

From that morning on, they walked to school together every day.

Every morning leading up to her 16th birthday was spent hoping that Ichigo's name would appear on the back of her hand. Five days after her birthday, Inoue nearly cried. _Ichigo Kurosaki_. She couldn't stop smiling.

She started wearing gloves, as most kids her age did. It was fairly obvious to everyone that Inoue loved Ichigo, but she didn't want him to find out. Not yet, at least. She wants him to get her name first, and then she'll run up to him and hug him and kiss him and fall in love more and more every day.

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At Ichigo's sixteenth birthday party, Inoue notices him run off into his room. She thinks that he tries to do so sneakily, but she's able to follow him. Before she enters the doorway, Ichigo slams the door.

Inoue stands to the side. She doesn't want to get caught, but she needs to see Ichigo as soon as he leaves his room. Sighing, she retreats back into the living room, starting a conversation between herself and Ishida.

"Inoue, I—" Ishida starts, but Inoue isn't listening. She's looking intently at Ichigo's doorknob, waiting for the slightest movement. And then—she sees it.

Ichigo leaves his room with gloves on, hastily pulling his sleeves over his fingers. His face is an incredible shade of pink, and for a moment, a brief moment, he meets Inoue's eyes. He quickly turns around, and walks the other way.

"—and so I was thinking that maybe we should do something later this week." It is then that Inoue realizes that she had been talking to Ishida. He pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose, and a small frown forms on his face. "Inoue?"

"Come again, Ishida-kun?" she asks, slightly embarrassed by the fact that she hadn't been listening.

"I, uh—nevermind," he says, and he turns around.

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Inoue silently traces Ichigo's steps, trying to figure out which way he went. She navigates the halls of his house, the walls bouncing slightly with the bass of the music. She's smiling.

She thinks she sees a glimpse of orange and she dashes towards it, trying to get closer. Finally, she sees his profile, with his long next and piercing yet tender amber eyes. She can feel her face heating up just thinking about him.

Suddenly, Ichigo leans forward. Although it takes a second for the image in front of her to register in her mind, Inoue knows that he's kissing another girl with short, dark hair. He's kissing Rukia, and she's kissing him back.

Inoue frowns to herself, tears welling up in her eyes. She had been so sure, so confident that something like this could never happen to a girl like her. She's Inoue, after all – nice, beautiful, bubbly Inoue. But it wasn't enough.

As Ichigo and Rukia break away, Inoue walks silently towards the pair – or perhaps, couple – and taps Ichigo on the shoulder. His face is flushed and his eyes are wide as Inoue slowly takes off her glove. Then, all the color drains from his face.

"It's fine," Inoue says. And honestly, she thinks it will be.

"I'm sorry," he replies slowly. "It's just that – "

"You don't need to say it. I'm happy for you," and she smiles like she means it.

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Inoue finds Ishida slumped against the wall outside. The summer air is thick and heavy, the music from Ichigo's house beating distantly in the wind. Ishida's gloves are off. She doesn't want to look, but she does, and it's her turn to be surprised. "You mean it's me?" she asks him incredulously.

He nods and pushes his glasses up.

"If the offer still stands, I'd really love to do something with you this weekend," she tells him, and he smiles like he means it.

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**A/N**: Happy ending? That works. I have no idea what I'm doing anymore. Anyway, if this idea has been done by you or anyone you know and you'd like credit, by all means, just PM me. It's a great concept.

Please R&R!


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